Cristiano Ronaldo will have his final chance to win the World Cup in 2026 when the tournament in North America kicks off on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico. As preparations ramp up for that golden opportunity, Portugal have officially confirmed their first friendly ahead of the competition.
After finishing atop Group F in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers and securing a spot in the tournament, Portugal cleared its schedule to organize additional friendlies as part of the team’s preparations. With the March international window already filled with matches against United States and Mexico, only two open dates remained in May and June before the start of the World Cup.
As announced by the Portuguese Football Federation on Wednesday, the Seleção will face Chile on June 6, just days before the tournament begins. According to the federation, the match is “part of its training camp” and will focus on preparing the squad for the competition in North America.
It will be the first meeting between Portugal and Chile since their clash at the FIFA Confederations Cup. On that occasion, the reigning champions of the Copa América and the UEFA European Championship met in the semifinals, playing to a scoreless draw before Chile advanced 3-0 on penalties.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Arturo Vidal of Chile.
While Chile failed to qualify for the World Cup, finishing last in CONMEBOL qualifying, the match should still serve as a valuable test for Portugal’s preparations. With a historical record of two wins and two draws against La Roja, Ronaldo and company will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten mark in the fixture.
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Only one friendly remaining to be confirmed
Despite confirming the opponent and date, Portugal has not yet announced the venue for the friendly against Chile. Still, all indications point to the match being staged in Europe, allowing the squad to play both warm-ups before departing for North America for the World Cup.
In its announcement, the federation added that “the team coached by Roberto Martínez will also play a second warm-up match scheduled for June 10 in Leiria.” That suggests the national team is likely to hold both pre-World Cup friendlies on home soil.